Hand tools are commonly used across all aspects of industry and in the homes of consumers. Hand tools are employed for multiple applications including, for example, tightening, component joining, and/or the like. For some component joining applications, a tongue-and-groove pliers (e.g., a channel lock, pipe spanner, adjustable pliers, slip joint pliers, etc.) may be preferred. Tongue-and-groove pliers typically have serrated jaws that are set from 45 to 60 degrees out of alignment with the handles and allow one of the jaws (typically the lower jaw) to be moved to a number of different selectable positions relative to the other jaw (typically the upper jaw). The different positions are each defined by separate tracks or grooves defined in a portion of the upper jaw. The lower jaw can then be selectively placed in each respective one of the tracks or grooves to define the distance between the jaws (which gets larger as the distance between the handles gets smaller).
Tongue-and-groove pliers are very commonly used for holding nuts and bolts, clamping materials, or gripping larger or irregular shaped objects. Because of this ability to grip larger objects, tongue-and-groove pliers often make a good choice for plumbers and homeowners engaged in pipe joining applications. In these applications, tongue-and-groove pliers are sometimes used to join pipes that remain out of the view under normal circumstances. The serrated jaws therefore can be used without regard for marring or scratching the surfaces of the pipes or pipe joining components that are to be engaged. However, in some cases, certain components upon which the tongue-and-groove pliers may be desirable for use may be visible or even decorative (e.g., polished) in nature. Using the serrated jaws without protection may therefore be undesirable since the surface of the components may be marred or scratched.